This invention relates generally to computer-based training and, more specifically, to an online computer-based training system created with digitally compressed multimedia presentations made available to students from a server computer to a local or remote client computer over a global network.
Many industries and professions require occupation-specific workers to maintain a certain educational standard within their industry. Typically, a person will be required to take a fixed number of hours of specific training in order to maintain their standing in a profession. A person in need of continuing or on-going training has many alternatives for taking classes that meet the requirements to maintain their professional standing. Training has been available, for example, through professional groups, community colleges, and other such accredited continuing education organizations. A person in need of such training typically attends a class or training session away from their job site. More recently, however, with the inception and acceptance of the Internet and development of more powerful computers, continuing education organizations have begun to offer such training over the Internet. Additionally, a proliferation of software development tools aimed at creating interactive Internet sites have helped provide the toolset to create such sites. These sites provide computer-based training (xe2x80x9cCBTxe2x80x9d) lessons over the Internet. CBT refers to the interactivity between a person, a computer-based training plan, and the computer where the lesson resides. The computer-based training plan can contain various training media including audio, video, or other visually displayed multimedia images. Additionally, the plan can include a series of questions and an exam that tests the knowledge gained from the computer-based training plan. Generally, these sites can be categorized into two types: simple interactive Hypertext Markup Language (xe2x80x9cHTMLxe2x80x9d) based sites and custom proprietary sites, which may or may not include a hybrid of off-the-shelf CBT software and proprietarily programmed software.
In its simplest form, CBT based on HTML is presented in a standard Internet browser-compatible static web page format. Because of the need to make HTML-based web pages compatible with various competing web page browsers and the need to control site development cost, these sites limit computer-based training plan presentation to static text and figures. At some sites, interactivity with the presented computer-based training plan is possible without registering for the class. In this situation, a student pays for the class when they desire to take the exam. At that time, the student gains simple interactive access to the test, takes the test, submits the test for scoring, and subsequently receives a certificate upon successful completion of the test. This certificate is viewable on the computer screen and printable to a printer attached to the student""s computer. In even a simpler form, the student is given the ability to print the test. The student takes the test in its printed-paper format and sends it to the web-based service, where it is scored and a certificate returned, if the student passes.
An advantage of the HTML approach is that the programming of the web-based content is simple and inexpensive. The programming may be in standard HTML and a server-side script such as the Active Server Page (xe2x80x9cASPxe2x80x9d) scripting environment for Microsoft Internet Information Server in which you can combine HTML, scripts, and reusable server components to create dynamic web pages. Alternatively, a programming environment such as Common Gateway Interface (xe2x80x9cCGIxe2x80x9d) may be used that enables the use of web site forms. Both ASP and CGI are simple to use and readily available web page programming environments. In its simplest form, a web-based CBT service has no student databases to track. Additionally, the web pages remain logically independent of one another. Another advantage of the simple HTML approach to CBT is that hardware investment is limited, both in terms of acquisition and maintenance, as these sites can be hosted on service provider servers, thus avoiding costly dedicated servers.
A disadvantage to HTML-based CBT is that the computer-based training plan is limited to very simplistic static or near static material. It is not possible to use this approach to create complex interactive class content or to track student progress.
A custom CBT site is presented using off-the-shelf CBT software, proprietary CBT software, or a hybrid of the two. A more complex CBT site generally uses custom software written to track student interaction with the computer-based training plan and offers more varied web content. These sites allow a student to interactively register for a class and receive a student number and password. Students take class segments over time. A student logs onto the system using their student name and password each time a student returns to the class segments. The sites are designed to incorporate server-side relational-type databases that track a student""s progress. Classes may require multiple quizzes, a final exam, or both. Classes are interactive, and a student""s progress within the course is dependant on whether and when the student masters the new material. Many custom CBT sites include chat rooms to provide real-time student/teacher and student/student interaction. These sites may also contain audio, video, text, and pictures. The addition of qualitative and quantitative interactivity creates an advantage over simple HTML-based CTB in that a custom CBT site offers an educational experience that is more particularized to the individual student.
Disadvantages to the custom CBT approach include the software development cost, the web site maintenance and related cost, and the time-consuming management of the many interactive features. Software development costs related to custom programming, even involving off-the-shelf-software, may substantially increase on-going development and maintenance costs. Likewise, modifications to computer-based training plans or adding additional curricula may lead to extensive additional costs. Another significant disadvantage to the a custom CBT site is that the demands of the software, including the databases that keep track of student information, frequently require dedicated host servers that increase development, operation, and maintenance costs.
Current CBT sites are disadvantaged when using streaming video technology because such technology requires high bandwidth Internet connections to provide acceptable viewable content. Furthermore, bandwidth limitations force video content to be displayed in a small viewing window, approximately one and one-half inches by two inches. While the small viewing window may provide acceptable video quality, the small screen size is not conducive to a quality classroom experience. Existing systems seek to address this problem by utilizing data compression. Digital data compression dramatically reduces the size of a file, and therefore maximizes the amount of data that can be transferred between computers in a specified time period. But data compression also reduces the quality of the data. The degree of compression and therefore the resultant quality of the data displayed is variable. For example, increasing the compression of an image may reduce the number of colors and/or blur the appearance of the image. Similarly, as the compression of audio is increased the frequency range and bit depth are decreased and the audio becomes less clear.
The present invention is directed to an improved system for distributing information content over a global computer network to students with diverse interests in a manner that utilizes the network resources of the content provider.
The present invention provides a system by which customized quality CBT can be presented over a global network such as the Internet, such method providing low development costs, low hosting costs, inexpensive class production, and high-quality audio-visual content.
A student, having an active connection to the server from a remote client and using a computer input device such as a mouse, keyboard or other such device, enters the CBT website disclosed by the present invention and thereupon registers as a new student by providing necessary pertinent information to the server host. Upon completion of the registration process, the student initiates and manages interaction with the online computer-based training plan, which plan may include such components as digitized and compressed multimedia presentations (including images, audio, and text), for example, as part of an interactive slide show, quiz, or exam.
An online plan can include slide show segments that contain digital images, digital audio and other media that is compressed and transmitted from a host server to the student""s computer via the Internet. The images and audio can be taken from nondigital or already digitized sources and if necessary, converted to a digital format. The images for a slide show segment are selected and compressed into an appropriate compression format. The audio presented along with the video is also compressed in a similar manner. Once compressed, the images and audio are prepared for a slide show computer-based training plan format. The slide show is tested for image and audio quality. Where necessary, the compression rate of an image or audio segment is adjusted. Better compression provides for a more fluid viewing of the slide show without sacrificing image or audio quality. Additionally, optimum viewing of the streaming images and audio is achieved by client-side buffer programming without any concern for bandwidth limitations. This allows a student to complete the plans quickly and without interruptions.
Upon completion of the computer-based training plan the student can take an interactive exam that can be scored and the results of which are immediately displayed to the student along with a certificate that certifies the student passed the exam. The student then prints the certificate to a printer attached to the client.